This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The State Office of Education honored 10 schools Wednesday for shrinking achievement gaps between groups of students.
To earn Utah Title I Closing the Achievement Gap Awards, schools had to reduce, by at least 50 percent, the achievement gap between the averaged scores of minority students, students with disabilities, and those from low-income families and the school as a whole. The schools also had to make Adequate Yearly Progress on annual tests toward the goals of No Child Left Behind in math and language arts for two consecutive years. And they had to be nominated by their district superintendents or charter school leaders.
Title I schools are schools that accept federal dollars for serving high percentages of students from low-income families.
"The challenges that they face are great and to make that kind of gain should be recognized," said Ann White, Title I coordinator at the State Office. "It's huge."
The 10 schools honored are:
• Belknap Elementary, Beaver.
• Bridger Elementary, Logan.
• Bruin Point Elementary, Sunnyside.
• Cedar East Elementary, Cedar City.
• Guadalupe Schools, Salt Lake City.
• Milford Elementary, Milford.
• Minersville Elementary, Minersville.
• Moroni Elementary, Moroni.
• Northern Utah Academy for Math, Engineering and Science (NUAMES), Layton.
• Red Mountain Elementary, Ivins.
"We know that in our state there is a gap between the achievement of minority groups and students with disabilities, and our schools and teachers are working very hard to close that gap," White said. "They're extending learning time, they're providing summer school, extra tutoring before and after school, a lot of volunteers that come into schools to assist."
The State Office also honored 58 Title I schools for high academic performance. To earn the Utah High Performing Title I School Award, schools must make Adequate Yearly Progress for at least two consecutive years; score at or above the state average on state math and language arts tests; and be nominated by their district superintendents or charter school leaders.
For a full list of all 58 schools go to http://www.sltrib.com/Blogs/chalkboard.